It is known to form an image on a recording medium in a printer by applying a curable ink onto the medium and subsequently curing the curable ink, deposited on the recording medium, by providing a curing radiation, such as a UV radiation, onto the curable ink.
The known printer comprises a print head assembly for applying the curable ink on the recording medium to form the image and a curing system comprising a curing source for providing the curing radiation, such as a UV radiation, in a curing zone onto the curable ink deposited onto the recording medium.
The above mentioned printer further comprises a transport assembly comprising a transport path for moving the recording medium in a transport direction along the print head assembly and the curing system. The transport assembly comprises a transport pinch for driving the recording medium along the transport path. The transport pinch is arranged upstream of the print head assembly in the transport direction and controls the position of the recording medium at the print head assembly and the curing system. This arrangement supports a compact system for forming the image and curing the image on the recording medium.
The above mentioned print head assembly is moveably arranged in a transverse direction, the transverse direction being substantially perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium. The printer comprises a control system arranged for controlling a scan wise movement of the print head assembly in the transverse direction over the recording medium to form the image. The control system further controls the transport assembly for step-wise moving the recording medium along the transport path in response to the scan wise movement of the print head assembly in the transverse direction.
The curing zone of the curing system is arranged extending over the transport path in the transverse direction such that the curable ink deposited on the recording medium can be cured along the transverse direction at once. This arrangement of the curing zone supports a fast and reliable curing process of the curable ink on the recording medium.
It is observed that, when moving the recording medium in the transport direction along the curing system in a step-wise movement, a print quality attribute of the image, such as a gloss level of the image, may become less uniform along the transport direction.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method for forming an image on a recording medium in a printer, the printer using a curable ink, wherein the recording medium is transported along the curing system in a step-wise movement and a uniform print quality is obtained in the image.